VITTBI NIDHI EiR (Entrepreneur-in-Residence)

NIDHI EiR is a fellowship from the Technology Translation and Innovation Division of the Government of India, formerly NSTEDB, meant to make entrepreneurship a realistic choice for people who would otherwise take a salaried job. The scheme is managed by Venture Center, NCL, Pune as programme implementing partner. The VITTBI page said a call would open shortly when we last checked.

What you get

• Fellowship support while you work on the idea full time
• Guidance from experienced entrepreneurs on the business concept, strategy and venture, plus insight into specific industries and markets
• Practical advice on starting a business and introductions that widen your professional network
• Co-working space to develop the idea into a marketable product

Who can apply

• First-generation innovative entrepreneurs with no prior source of income, committed to exploring one technology business idea
• You must be able to show you can build a scalable technology business
• You must propose one technology business idea in the prescribed format, with a formal business plan and a business presentation including an investment proposal
• You must pursue it full time; the fellowship cannot run alongside any other pay or fellowship
• You cannot be a promoter or hold more than ten per cent of another company when you apply or when the grant is approved
• You must register for VITTBI's pre-incubation or incubation programme for the whole duration
• Not for people using it as a stop-gap between jobs or during studies, or for ideas with little technology innovation that are less than six months from commercialisation

How selection works: Preference goes to technology business ideas with larger technology uncertainty or long gestation periods, ideas that build on technology or intellectual property from publicly funded research or academic organisations, and ideas with considerable social impact. The programme's own stated aims are that at least thirty per cent of supported ideas become startup companies and at least ten per cent of recipients raise funding within eighteen months. Support stops from the date of the first tranche if you raise funding.

How to apply: Download the application and guidelines from the NIDHI EiR page and email the completed form to vittbi.grants@vit.ac.in.